Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
Landy, Derek. (2007).
Skulduggery Pleasant. New York, NY:
Harper Collins Publishers.
When 12-year-old Stephanie Edgley's Uncle Gordon dies, everyone is surprised, but chalks it up to natural causes. Enter Gordon's friend Skulduggery Pleasant. To describe the fellow as odd would be an understatement. Skulduggery is a living skeleton, who throws fire, works as a detective and believes that Stephanie's uncle was murdered. As Stephanie joins forces with Skulduggery and discovers first hand the magical realm that exist right in this world in which we live, she finds there was much more to her Uncle Gordon and the family than she ever knew.
Evaluation Criteria: Characters and Theme
This low fantasy novel involving magical, supernatural
beings dueling it out in our world, exhibits the age old theme that good is
more powerful than evil. The main characters,
Skulduggery Pleasant, a walking, talking, skeleton detective, and Stephanie
Edgley, a 12-year-old girl looking for answers about her uncle’s death, become
involved in a bitter battle against the evil Nefarian Serpine who is determined
to find the Scepter of the Ancients and bring back the Faceless Ones. Stephanie is a strong willed girl who has
always hoped for something more than her “humdrum” life, so when Skulduggery
appears, although initially shocked, she chooses to immerse herself in his
secret world. Throughout the story we
see Stephanie evolve from a pretty much typical 12-year-old, to a strong, and
confident person who discovers that she too has inherited the gift of magic. Skulduggery is a complex character who although
is often mischievous, defiant and very sarcastic, exhibits a more sympathetic
and sensitive side when it comes to Stephanie.
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